Debian 10 (buster) - gdm3 only starts after "systemctl restart gdm3"

Question

I've currently set up a new install of Debian stretch. I followed the description on how to update to Debian Testing (buster) and everything went perfectly. I rebooted the system, and everything went fine.

Next I compiled a 4.19.5 Kernel on this System for my System:

$ git clone -b kernel_4.19.y git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git
$ cd linux
$ cp /boot/config-`uname -r` .config
$ yes "" | make oldconfig
$ make -j64 bzImage modules
$ sudo make modules_install install
$ sudo update-grub
$ sudo reboot

Compiling the kernel went flawless, the kernel boots, everything works fine. Except gdm3: It wont start after booting the Kernel.

So I again booted the Debian 4.18.y kernel but still just have a black screen. Booting 4.19.5 again, I ssh'd from a different machine on this machine and issued systemctl restart gdm3. After 2-4 seconds, the login-screen pops up on my display and everything works as intended.

Again, rebootet the system. No login-screen, just black. Again, ssh'd on the machine, restarted gdm3, everything pops up as it should be.

I've digged around in the logs of gdm3 when it wont start.

Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) config/udev: removing GPU device /sys/devices/pci0000:40/0000:40:03.1/0000:43:00.0/drm/card0 /dev/dri/card0
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: xf86: remove device 0 /sys/devices/pci0000:40/0000:40:03.1/0000:43:00.0/drm/card0
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: failed to find screen to remove
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: dbus-daemon[1264]: [session uid=103 pid=1264] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.systemd1' requested by ':1.0' (uid=103 pid=1176 comm="/usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session gnome-session --autost")
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: dbus-daemon[1264]: [session uid=103 pid=1264] Activated service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1' failed: Process org.freedesktop.systemd1 exited with status 1
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmManager: trying to register new display
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: Unable to register display with display manager
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (**) Option "fd" "25"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) event1  - Power Button: device removed
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (**) Option "fd" "28"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) event0  - Power Button: device removed
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (**) Option "fd" "29"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) event16 - Cherry USB keyboard: device removed
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (**) Option "fd" "30"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) event18 - Cherry USB keyboard System Control: device removed
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (**) Option "fd" "31"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) event19 - Cherry USB keyboard Consumer Control: device removed
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (**) Option "fd" "32"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) event20 - PixArt Cherry USB Optical Mouse: device removed
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:84
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:83
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Nov 28 12:11:46 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:82
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:80
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:64
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:65
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) RADEON(0): RADEONCloseScreen
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1176]: (II) Server terminated successfully (0). Closing log file.
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSession: Emitting 'session-exited' signal with exit code '70'
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSession: stopping conversation gdm-launch-environment
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSessionWorkerJob: Stopping job pid:1170
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmCommon: sending signal 15 to process 1170
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmDisplay: Greeter exited: 70
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmLocalDisplayFactory: display status changed: 4
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmDisplay: finish display
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmDisplayStore: Unreffing display: 0x55da450b4350
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmDisplay: Disposing display
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmCommon: sending signal 15 to process -1176
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: Child process -1176 was already dead.
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSession: Closing session
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSession: Stopping all conversations
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSessionWorkerJob: Stopping job pid:1170
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmCommon: sending signal 15 to process 1170
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSessionWorkerJob: Waiting on process 1170
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmCommon: process (pid:1170) done (status:0)
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSessionWorkerJob: SessionWorkerJob died
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSession: Disposing session
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSession: Closing session
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmSession: Stopping all conversations
Nov 28 12:11:47 bamdevsrv gdm3[1102]: GdmDisplay: Finalizing display: /org/gnome/DisplayManager/Displays/94395949597520

Finally it is stuck at Finalizing display. After I issue an restart, the logs look nearly identical, but it continues after Finalizing display with a lot of other output.

Nov 28 13:59:16 bamdevsrv gdm3[1129]: GdmSession: Disposing session
Nov 28 13:59:16 bamdevsrv gdm3[1129]: GdmSession: Closing session
Nov 28 13:59:16 bamdevsrv gdm3[1129]: GdmSession: Stopping all conversations
Nov 28 13:59:16 bamdevsrv gdm3[1129]: GdmDisplay: Finalizing display: /org/gnome/DisplayManager/Displays/93976516326224
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[1129]: GDM finished, cleaning up...
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[1129]: GdmDisplayStore: Clearing display store
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: Enabling debugging
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: Changing user:group to Debian-gdm:Debian-gdm
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: Successfully connected to D-Bus
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmManager: GDM starting to manage displays
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GLib: posix_spawn avoided (fd close requested)
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: Could not ping plymouth: Failed to execute child process “/bin/plymouth” (No such file or directory)
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmLocalDisplayFactory: enumerating seats from logind
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmLocalDisplayFactory: wayland login display for seat seat0 requested
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmLocalDisplayFactory: Adding display on seat seat0
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: id: (null)
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: seat id: (null)
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: session class: greeter
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: initial: no
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: allow timed login: yes
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: local: yes
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: session type: wayland
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: seat id: seat0
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: initial: yes
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplayStore: Adding display /org/gnome/DisplayManager/Displays/94188358636112 to store
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: Managing display: /org/gnome/DisplayManager/Displays/94188358636112
Nov 28 14:02:49 bamdevsrv gdm3[2448]: GdmDisplay: Preparing display: /org/gnome/DisplayManager/Displays/94188358636112

How is gdm3 broken on boot, but not after I restart it?

Edit: Currently I'm running a workaround. But this is nothing other than an ugly hack as new systemd service:

[Unit]
After=gdm3.service

[Service]
ExecStartPre=/bin/sleep 15
ExecStart=/bin/systemctl restart gdm3

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Answer 1

wiki.debian.org DebianTesting has specific instructions for gdm

apt-get --reinstall install gdm3
apt-get --reinstall install gnome
apt-get --reinstall install gnome-shell

dpkg-reconfigure gdm3

Answer 2

Experienced a similiar issue without gnome starting at boot.

dmesg (for me) showed a segfault in gnome-shell due to weyland.

Updating the daemon.conf in /etc/gdm3/ with "WaylandEnable=false" removed the segfault error and lead to gnome starting (on boot) without further issue.

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1059091/gnome-shell-error-showing-in-dmesg